The Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks are set to battle in Week 2 of the NFL season this week, and there are plenty of big storylines on both sides. The Seahawks are looking to bounce back after letting the 49ers come back to defeat them late, and the Steelers' defense will be trying to change the narrative after getting pushed around against the Jets.
The biggest storyline by far, though, is DK Metcalf's first game against his former team. Ever since the Seahawks chose to blow things up offensively by trading away key starters like quarterback Geno Smith and Metcalf, I was curious what the offense would look like with Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp being brought in to replace them.
It's only been one game, but both Darnold and Kupp failed to make an impact in their Week 1 loss. Metcalf, meanwhile, had multiple explosive receptions in a successful debut for Pittsburgh. While the former Seahawk has downplayed this matchup, fans will certainly be paying attention to how Metcalf looks against a tough Seattle defense.
Pittsburgh Steelers need DK Metcalf to show the Seahawks what they are missing
The Seahawks' choosing to move on from Metcalf instead of offering him the mega deal he got in Pittsburgh could end up being the right decision long term, but it's clear they are missing his explosiveness. Darnold managed just 150 passing yards against the 49ers, with 124 of them coming from breakout receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
150 yards would have been the second-lowest total put up by Smith a year ago and is one of the lowest totals by any Seahawks QB in recent history. Had they kept Metcalf around to continue playing next to Smith-Njigba, they likely could have come away with a victory in Week 1 even with the downgrade at QB.
Instead, Seattle is hoping Kupp and rookie fifth-round pick Tory Horton can provide enough juice to help out their new No. 1 target. So far, not so good.
Meanwhile, Metcalf dazzled with his athleticism in his Steelers debut, racking up 83 yards on four receptions with 67 of them coming after the catch. He wasn't featured as a deep threat the way many expected, but that will come in time if the pass protection can prove reliable enough.
I was admittedly pessimistic about the Steelers' decision to trade a second-round pick for a receiver of Metcalf's style, and it's fair to wonder if the contract will age poorly as he approaches 30 years old. For the time being, however, he injects a ton of speed and size into an offense that desperately needed it.
If Metcalf has another strong performance, and the Seattle offense continues to look stuck in neutral, Seahawks fans could quickly grow frustrated with the organization for moving on from the talented wideout.